Toy electric-railway construction



A. N. HOFFMANN T'oY ELECTRIC RAILWAY coNsTHucTioN 1 Filed April 30, 1924 Pntented May 5, 1925 j UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Tron, or New Yann, n. A ooneoRAfrroN or NEW YORK." l

TOY ELECTRIC-RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed April 30, 1924-. Serial No. 709,556.

To (LIZ whom 'it may concern.'

Be it; known that ARTHUR N. HOFFMANN,

citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of Kings and State of New York, has invented certain new and useful improvements in Toy Electric-Rail- 'way Constructions,`of which the following is a specicetion.

This invention relates to toy electric railways and more particularly to an improved construction of track junction switch therefor.

l' The object offthe invention is to provide en improif'cd construction in :1 track switching section whereby the portions of the live or thirdf rail adjacent the switch are arranged to be cnt in and out ot the electrical circuit in operative relation to the switch position. i

Another object oi' the invention is to provide means for elimination ot possible deraiiinent at switchingf points by automatically disconnecting thepower from the portion o the rail lending to the switch on the exit side thereof on setting the latter closed :against seid rails.

.i further object oi the invention is to provide an electrical end mechanical toy rnilway switch which shall be simple and yrugged in construction and efficient inoperation to a high degree.

Other objects of the invention will in pant be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed ont.A

rl`he invention accordingly` consists in the 'tentures of construction. combinations of elements and arrangement of -parts which will. be exemplified in the construction hereio-.rlter described and of which the scope el :application will be indicated in` the following claims.

ln the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the various possible illusirntive embodiments oi this invention,

Fig. 1 is z: plexi view oi a toy track jutnction switch construction embodying the ,inrention:

Fig. if.' is sectional View in side elevation taken on line '12f'2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in side elevation partly in section of the insulated third rail joint; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional Viewl in side :elevation taken along line lf-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, 1() denotes a railwa Itrack switchino" section com rising a junction of a pair of straight tracks 11 and 11a with a. pair of curved spur tracks 12 and 12a, and of a third orlive rail 13 with similar rail portions 1% and 15. -Rails 13, 111, and 15 may be situated in any sulfable, relation to the tracks 11, 11, 12, and 12, and 'to the present instance are shown to extend lengthwise and xnidWa-y between each pair ol said tracks.

All the above described tracks and rails lforming track section muy be firmly secnred to a .sheet metal hase 16 by clips 17. Rails 13, 14, and-15',`in addition may be insulated Jfrom said base frame 16 and clips 17 by means of strips 18 of insulating material'in well known manner and as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. l

To one side and at one end of base frame 16, a switch control 19 is mounted and comprises a lever Q0 pivoted to oscillate a Hat bar 21 which extends transversely vof the tracks 11, 12, and raillf as shown in Fig, 1.

Bar 21 is pivotally secured at 22 to a plate member 23 which in turn is pivoted at 24 (shown in 'dotted lines in Fig. 1) to be swfingably supported on base freine 1G. The loi'igitudinaledge 0l plate member 23 may Ibe npturned andI shaped to form the movable track portions 12" and 11h which form the continuation of track 12 and 11n respec tively.` A fixed frog 25 positioned at the junction of rail 12 and 11n permits proper means of a metallic pin 29,- and rail 14 to" rail by an insulating pin 31. The purpose of the latter willhereinafter-appearl The electrical` circuit through t tracks j alignment with the movable tracks 12" and hud rails is formed by connecting one 'con-'100 section, and means mechanically operated by the section to connect said power rail one at a time.

In a toy electric railway, a switching section including an electric switch, and a power rail and an insulated power rail por- .tion at .each exit side of said Section, said branch and means carried by the switch for' disconnecting the power fromv the portion of the rail along the tracks of the branch aganstwhich the switch is set closed.v

8. In a toy electric railway, a track sectioncomprismg branch tracks joined at one end to.forn1 a switching junction, a t switchat'said junction in combination wit a power rail extending lengthwise each branch having insulating portions therein,

and'means carried by the switch for disoon# necting the power from the rail rtion of the branch against which.the switch is set closed,l and for connecting the power to the rail portion of the branches that the switch is open to.

9. In a toy lelectric railway, a track section comprising branch tracks joined at one end to form a switching junction, a' track. switch at said junction and means to con-V trol said trackA switch in combination with a power rail extending lengthwise each branch, and an electric switch positioned.between the branch power rails and arranged to be simultaneously operated by the track switch controlmeans on closing the switchV against a branch to disconnect the power from the portion of the rail along the tracks of that brauch.

i0. In a toy electric railway, a track sec tion comprising branch tracks joined at one end to form a switching junction, etrackswitch at said junction, and means to control said track switch in combination with a power rail extending lengthwise each Branch having insulating portions therein,

4and an electric switch positioned for cutting said insulated rail portions in and ont of circuit with the power rail and arranged to be simultaneously operated by the trackswitch control means on closing the switch portions to the against a branch to disconnect the wer from the insulated portion of the rai along the tracks of that branch and to connect the ypower to the insulated rail portion of the branch opened to the switch.

11. In a. toy electric railway haringa switch section, the combination oi a track switch comprising a pivoter! plate member .carryingr .thereon track portions to move therewith, a power rail running lengthwise the said section, anclectric switch havingblades secured to. move with the plate :mem

ber, and means co-acting with said blades on the operation of said 'track switch to disconnect the power Vfrom the portion of the' rail at the exit of the sectionfagainst which the switch is closed, and for connecting the power to the rail portion at the exit which is open to the switch.

12. In a toy electric railway having a' switch section, the combination of a. track swit `i comprising a pivotedV plate member carrying thereon track portions to move therewith, a power rail running lengthwise the said section, an electric switch having blades secured to move with the plate member, and means co-actingr with said blades on the operation of said track switch to disconnect the power from the'portion of the rail at the exit of the section against which `the switch is closed, and for connecting the power to the rail portion at the exit. which 1 is open to the switch, said means including insulated rtions in said power rail at each exit to said switch.

13. In a toy electric railway, a track section comprising branch tracks joined at one cndto form a switchin'gjunctioma tracks witch at said junction comprising a pivoted plate member haring its longitudinal edges shaped to form track portions thereof, a power rail extending lengthwise each branch havinginsulated portions therein, an electric switch positioned between the. branch power rails including blades firmly v'secured to the underside of the plate member, and control means for the track switch arranged lto simultaneously disconnect the power from the insulated rail rtion along the tracks of the branch against which the switch is closed, and to connect the power tothe msulated raii portionof the branch opened to the switch.

In testimony whereof I-atlix my signa` ture.

ARTHUR N. HOFFMANN.. 

